Tumut River Canoe and Kayak Trail - Land

WELCOME
Welcome to the Tumut River Canoe and Kayak Trail.
This is a canoe or kayak trip down one of Australia’s inland rivers which
enables you to enjoy the true beauty of our rural countryside and vast
river systems.
There are many Crown land reserves along the trail where you can
camp overnight, or stop for a well earned break.
The Tumut River
The Tumut River is a major tributary of the Murrumbidgee River,
which, with the Murray and Darling Rivers, drains the huge Murray
Darling basin.
The Tumut River rises in the Snowy Mountains where the Snowy
Mountain Hydro Electric Scheme captures and diverts much of the
annual snow melt from these mountains into tunnels and dams that
feed the Tumut River. The huge Lake Blowering is the last of these
dams and holds water for release down the Tumut River during
summer months for irrigation further down stream.
The Tumut River Canoe and Kayak Trail starts underneath the
Blowering Dam wall, and follows the river to its junction with
the Murrumbidgee River just up stream of Gundagai. The regular
flow out of the Blowering Dam during summer months and the
picturesque rural landscape in this area makes the Tumut River one of
the very best canoeing trips available.
Degree of difficulty
The Tumut River with normal summer flows is not a beginners’ river.
The moving water is classified as Grade 1 rapid. The water is deep
and cold. Canoeists should wear a helmet, avoid trees and fixed
objects that can trap your canoe and be aware of hypothermia if you
capsize. Canoeing skills and some experience is needed to handle this
moving water. Some sections are quite long and depending on flow
may take greater than five hours of paddling. A reasonable level of
fitness is required.
Canoe & kayak maps and notes
These canoe and kayak trail maps have been prepared by the NSW Land
and Property Management Authority to help you plan your trip down
the Tumut River. The distance to Gundagai by the river is some 95 kms.
Once at Gundagai you can continue your trip down stream using the
Murrumbidgee Canoe Trail Maps.
Access to the river is via Crown land reserves which are shown on
the maps, together with a suggested route for support vehicles
following canoeists.
Snowy Mountains